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Mountain West Tournament Preview

Season in Review
This wasn't the best season the Mountain West has ever seen, but Nevada kept them in the conversation by being a top 25 team for most of the season. The Wolf Pack were one of the last undefeated teams in college basketball, only dropping 3 games all season, and all of them came in conference play. We also saw Utah State emerge as a likely tournament team, with Craig Smith doing an amazing job in his first season to put himself in the National Coach of the Year conversation. San Diego State was a disappointment this year, I thought they could contend for an at-large bid, but their inconsistency hurt them all season, although they have been playing better recently.

Bracket

Image result for mountain west tournament bracket 2019
Contenders
Nevada (28-3, 15-3)
The Pack had one of the more memorable tournamentsnlast season, with two crazy comeback victories before falling to Loyola Chicago. They have an experienced group of transfers, led by returners Caleb and Cody Martin and Jordan Caroline. They led Nevada to 14 straight wins to open the season and a 24-1 start. They use the 6'7" Cody Martin at point guard, and the entire team is big save for bench shooter Jazz Johnson, and that gives them a huge advantage defensively. Teams struggle to score against the size and length of the Wolf Pack, and they also force a lot of turnovers. Offensively, they rely on the skill of their players in isolation situations, and it typically works because they are simply better than their Mountain West counterparts. This is the most talented team in the conference, and they have to be considered the favorite to win the tournament.

Utah State (25-6, 15-3)
Despite a shaky 1-2 start to conference play, Utah State closed out the season on a 14-1 run, including a 7 game winning streak to end the year. They welcomed new head coach Craig Smith and impact freshman big Neemias Queta to join star guard Sam Merrill, and the results were marvelous. They were a force on the glass, grabbing 40 a game, the most in the Mountain West and thirteenth in the nation. They also had the best adjusted offensive efficiency in the conference thanks to Smith's great schemes, and their victory over Nevada in their penultimate regular season proved just how good they can be.

Sleeper Team
San Diego State (19-12, 11-7)
The Aztecs had high expectations heading into the season following a tournament berth last season, but let their fans down throughout the year. From losing to Cal in the non-conference to starting 5-4 in Mountain West play to losing 3 of their last four, they never seemed to live up to their potential except for one stretch of five games, during which they beat both Utah State and Nevada. They have the second best defense in the Mountain West as well as two of the best players in the conference with NBA prospect Jalen McDaniels and senior guard Devin Waston. If they can play to their ceiling they can win the tournament, the question is simply whether they can reach that ceiling for three straight games

Players to Watch
Caleb Martin
Stats: 19.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 42.2/34.9/73.9
One of the star Martin twins at Nevada, Caleb Martin is simply put one of the best isolation scorers in college basketball. Nevada doesn't really run an offense, so oftentimes the ball will wind up in his hands late in the shot clock, and he'll be forced to go get a bucket, and he excels at it. Whether it's a pull up jumper or a tough layup, Martin takes and makes tough shots, and when Nevada finds themselves in a hole in the second half, it will often be Caleb who leads the Pack during their comeback. He had a career high 33 in a win over Utah this year, and he will surely play a large part in Nevada competing for a conference title.

Sam Merrill
Stats: 21 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 46.4/39/90.4
Perhaps the least talked about star in the nation, Merrill has been excellent this year for Utah State. He finished second in the Mountain West in points per game and sixth in assists, and the junior guard thrived under his new head coach. He scored over 30 points four times, and he can get buckets in a variety of ways. He often gets open layups in the offense, but he is a crafty finisher who has excellent touch around the basket. He's also a deadeye from deep, and he doesn't miss a clean look at the basket. Merrill is scoring 29.5 points over his last 4 games, and I think he'll have a big tournament for the Aggies.

Braxton Huggins
Stats: 19.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 43.9/40.3/80.5
I haven't talked about Fresno State, but they have had a good year, and they've been led by New Mexico State transfer and Newcomer of the Year Braxton Huggins. The senior guard is a scoring machine, putting up numbers in the WAC and MWC, and with a sweet shooting stroke and an innate ability to put the ball in the basket, he finished fourth in the Mountain West in scoring. He scored 30+ points fours times on the year, and he did so twice in his last three games. You can't let him get hot, or else he'll tear you apart and he could lead the Bulldogs deep into this tournament.

Jalen McDaniels
Stats: 16 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 47/30.4/73.3
The sophomore has been turning heads of NBA scouts since he first stepped onto the court in San Diego, and he had a strong campaign this year. He finished eighth in he conference in scoring and seventh in rebounds, and despite often being asked to do a lot offensively, he took it all in stride and had a great year for the Aztecs. He has an excellent game from the high post, with the ability to knock down foul line jumpers at a high rate, beat his man off the bounce and finish thanks to freaky athleticism, or back him down and use one of his post moves to score. Games like his 30 point, 13 rebound performance against UNLV highlight his vast potential, and with a big performance in the Mountain West Tournament, he could be gone to the NBA after the year.

My All Conference Teams
First Team
G: Sam Merrill, Utah State
G: Caleb Martin, Nevada
G: Braxton Huggins, Fresno State
F: Jordan Carolina, Nevada
F: Jalen McDaniels, San Diego State

Second Team
G: Deshon Taylor, Fresno State
G: Justin James, Wyoming
G: Cody Martin, Nevada
F: Nico Carvacho, Colorado State
F: Neemias Queta, Utah State

Third Team
G: Anthony Mathis, New Mexico
G: Devin Watson, San Diego State
G: Justinian Jessup, Boise State
G: Kris Clyburn, UNLV
F: Lavelle Scottie, Air Force

My Pick: Utah State over Nevada
In the rubber match of the season series, I'm going with the Aggies. I think they are more organized and will be more prepared for the rematch. I'm fully bought in on Utah State and Craig Smith, and I have fallen off the Nevada bandwagon a little bit. If they fall behind early in this one, I don't think they'll come back, and Sam Merrill has a big performance to ensure that the Aggies go dancing.

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